00:00Catholic worshippers gathered for mass on Sunday in the city of Bonia, right in the heart of the rapidly spreading
00:06Ebola outbreak in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
00:09Despite a government ban on gatherings of more than 50 people, Judge D. Convinas Ngambo administered hand sanitizers to mass
00:16attendees, and others washed their hands at the station set up at the front gate.
00:20We require hand washing because we have learned that there is an Ebola epidemic in our city, and that it
00:27has already killed many of our Christian brothers and sisters.
00:30The ban on large gatherings, including mass and finerals, is one of the key measures introduced to slow the outbreak
00:36before authorities officially confirmed it on May 15.
00:39Still, some worshippers say they rely on the church to help them cope with this difficult period.
00:43We have to come to pray because we know that God is the master of time and circumstances.
00:48We are aware of the illnesses and we are doing our best to protect ourselves, but we cannot ignore God's
00:53presence in our lives.
00:54That is why we have to come to pray here.
00:56The World Health Organization now classifies the outbreak as a very high risk for Congo, up from high, though it
01:02says the risk of the disease spreading worldwide remains low.
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